Amelia Island revealed . . .

By Mark Gearis
July 2, 2022

Editor’s Note:  You might say Mark is a night owl. He works at the Green Turtle, but on clear nights after hours (midnight until 6 a.m.),  his attention is focused on his passion which is photographing the evening sky.  He is a member of the Northeast Florida Astronomical Society an organization that provides outreach to individuals interested in honing their night sky photography skills.

A native to the area, Mark graduated from Fernandina Beach High School in 2003.

About his photo:  During the summer months, the Milky Way band passes over our area and during this year Mark seized the opportunity to take a wide-field shot of two nebulas, the North American and the Pelican Nebula which is located in the constellation Cygnus.

Over the course of two nights during May and June, Mark captured the image at his home, located just over the Shave Bridge.  The process he used is called narrowband imaging.  By using filters, Mark uses the same exposure and captures specific light wave links, and complies them to produce a final image.